MP Welcomes New Government Funded Nursery in Elm Park

Families in Dagenham and Rainham will soon benefit from new nursery places. Scargill Infants School in Elm Park is part of the Labour government’s new scheme to roll out 300 new or expanded school-based nurseries by converting classrooms into top quality early years spaces.

From September, working parents will get 30 government-funded hours of childcare a week, from 9 months of age right up to starting school - saving parents up to £7,500 a year. These new nurseries will help deliver additional places needed for the scheme.

This announcement comes alongside the rollout of breakfast clubs in primary schools, with the first 750 schools set to launch later this month – saving families up to £450 a year.

Margaret Mullane MP for Dagenham and Rainham commented: “I wholeheartedly welcome this announcement, and I am thrilled that Scargill Infants School in Elm Park has been awarded funding to deliver one of the first 300 new school-based nurseries of this government.

“Under the previous government childcare and early years education was broken, with high fees and low capacity. At present many parents in my constituency must travel significant distances because there are limited spaces available in local provision for their child.

“I cannot stress the importance of a good childcare and early years model enough; it gives young people the best start in life and parents a better opportunity to work.

“This came up time and again on doors last summer, and whilst we have a long way to go to completely fix the system, this is a step in the right direction for parents and children in Dagenham and Rainham.”